Time switch



Sept. 20, 1932.

J. E. KUYKENDALL TIME swn'ca Filed Aug. 30, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 L-J'.Z-ku ykendall.

p 1932- J E. KUYKENDALL 1,373,637

TIME SWITCH Filed Aug. 50, 1930 31'Sheets-Sheet 2 p 1932. J. E.KUYKENDALL TIME SWITCH Filed Aug. 30. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 W W 1 w w am M e V m :3: M I J W v V fl J AU W Patented Sept. 20, 1932 PATENT!OFFICE JOSEPH E. KU'YKENDALL, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS TIME SWITCHApplication urea am so, mo. Serial 110. 478,955.

This invention is an automatic switch for closing electric circuits andthe object of the invention is to provide a device which will be verysimple in construction and efl'icient in operation.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and consistsin certain novel features which will be hereinafter fully I describedand then more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying the invention. I

v Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, partly broken away.

Figure 3 is a detail rear elevation of the controlling dial. 1

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

2 Figure 5 is a detail view of one of the segmentsshown in thepreviously mentioned figures. 1

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of a sec- 0nd embodiment of theinvention. Figure 7 is a side elevation of the same. t

Figure 8 is a detail sectional elevation, the secti pn being taken onthe line 88 of Figure s Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 ofFigure 6. I

It may be noted that while the apparatus is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in a vertical position as a matter of convenienceand will be described as in said position, it may be disposed inanyposition most convenient under given circumstances and will operateefficiently in all positions.

In carrying out the invention there is provlded a panel or baseboard 1which may be of any approved form and dimensions and may, if desired, beornamented to any degree. At the upper end of this baseboard is a clockmechanismwhich may be of any well known or approved arrangement. Securedto the outer or front end of the shaft 3 of the clock is a stub shaft 4which may be shouldered or provided with a back plate 5 whereby it willpresent an abutment fora hub member 6, said hub member being ofinsulation and be-' ing integral with or'rigidly secured to a dial 'ner.

7 which, When the device is in operation, will rotate with the shaft, awing nut 8 being fit-' ted upon the threadedextremity of the stub shaftand being turned home'against the hub member, as will be understood uponreference to Figure 4, whereby the hub member and the dial will beclamped firmly against the abutment 5 and thereby secured to the shaft.Around the margin of the dial 7 are inscribed numerals, indicated at 9.which may extend from 1 to 24 or be disposed in two series, each runningfrom 1 to 12, thesenumerals being intended todesigna'te the successivehours and the dial being intended to make one complete revolution everytwentyfour hours. Disposed concentrically about the hub, threadedopenings or sockets 10 are formed inthe dial and disposed againstthefront and back faces of the dial are segments 11 of insulation which areheldin place by cap screws 12 inserted through notches 13 formed in themeeting edges of the segments and engaged in the openings or sockets 10in the dial, as clearly shown in Figure 4, whereby the segments will beclamped to the dial by the heads of the screws in an obvious man- Thesegments are so proportioned that each segment will cover the'area onthe dial between two successive numerals 9, and the sockets 10 and thescrews 12 engaged therein are disposed on radial lines of the dial leading to the respective indicator numerals. The contact members or movableswitch arms are controlled, by the segments 11, riding upon theperipheral edges of the segments when the segments are in contact andswinging be-v yond the peripheral line of the segments when. thesegments are removed. It will. therefore, be evident that by removingselected segments, the switch arms may be made to operate at desiredtimes and consequently the making and breaking ofthe electric circuitswill be automatically effected.

Mounted upon' the baseboard 1 below the clock work and the dial is aframe 14 which and held in fixed spaced relation to the plate 15 by saidbolts.

Secured upon the plate 15 and extending along the medial longitudinalline of the same is a conductor bar 18 of brass or other good conductivemetal, and this bar 18 carries at its upper end a shallow U-shapedmember 19 which consists of resilient arcuate plates provided at theirextremities on their opposite faces with small projections or knobs 20adapted to engage the movable switch arms, as will presently appear. Itwill be noted upon reference to Figure 2, that the upper end of the bar18 isofiset to support the member 19 in spaced relation to the plate 15and said member 19 is secured at its center to the bar 18 so that itsends will be free to be engaged by the cooperating switch arm. It willalso be noted that the lower end of the bar 18 extends beyond the end ofthe plate 15' and is equipped with a binding post or screw 21 so that'anelectric conductor may be attached thereto if desired. At each lowercorner of the frame 14 a terminal strip 22 is secured, each strip beingequipped at its lower end with a binding post or screw 23 wherebyelectric conductors may be at tached to the terminals, as clearly shownin Figures 1 and 2; Each terminal is secured at its upper end by a screw24, of good conducting material which passes through the insulatingplate 15 andhas a conducting strip or link 25 clamped to its back end,as shown in Figure 2. The screwor bolt 26 securing the opposite end ofthe respective link 25, passes through the insulated plate 15 and at itsfront endpivotally supports-a'switch arm 27 or 28. Therespective-switcharms are engaged. by springs29 which constantly urge them in onedirection, and the movement of the. switch arms under. the influence ofthe respective springs is limitedby stop pins 30 secured on the plate 15atone side of the arms, as shown in Figure 1. Each of the switch arms2728 has secured at its upper end a block of insulation 31 and extendingfrom the insulation is alever member 32 or.

33 which rides upon the rear or front series of segments 11, as shown inFigures 1, 2 and 3, and as will be readily understood. Upon reference toFigures 1 and 3, more particularly, it will be noted that the lever 32extending'from the switch arm 28 is a straight arm and cooperates withthe" rear series of 1 segments 11, whereas the arm 33 is curveddesirable that the levers be carried in advance of the vertical diameterof the dial in the direction of rotation.

At an upper corner of the cover 16 is sccured an index pointer 34 whichextends upwardly from the cover and is bent rearwardly so as toterminate close to the periphery of the indicator dial 7. The switch isset to operate at desired intervals by removing proper segments 11, ashas been previously stated. After the segments have been removed, thedial is turned, the wing nut 8 being loosened, until the numeral 9,indicating the hour of the actual time, is alined with the pointer 34,after which the wing nut is turned home and the dial will then rotatewith the clock. Assuming that the circuits controlled by the switch areto be broken between the hours of twelve and 5,

the. segments between the numerals 12. and 5 on the dial are removed, asshown in Figure 1, and when the end oft-he lever 33 is at any point inthe space between the remaining segments, it will be swung into saidspace by the action, of the cooperating spring. 29 sothat the arm 27will be moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1,. withthe switch arm resting against the adjacent stop pin 30. lVhen therotation of thedisc brings a segment against the end of t-hclever 33,the lever and corresponding switch arm will be returned to the full lineposition shown in Figure 1, against the action of the spring 29,. andthe switch arm 27 will then be engaged between and in contact with anadjacent protuberance 20 upon the contact member 19. The switch arm 27is normally in the closed position in engagement with the member 19while normally the switch arm 28 is in open position shown by the fulllines in Figure 1, and is held in such position by riding upontheperipheries of the rear segments 11.. If the switch is to be closed,say at 10 oclock, the segments from 10 to 12 are removed and when therotation of the dial brings the open space thus left adjacent the end ofthe lever 32, the lever will be swung into said space, as indicated bythe dotted lines in Figure 1, by the action of the cooperating spring29, the switch arm 28 being thereby caused to engage within the member19 and close the circuit, it being noted that the switch arm 27 isnormally in circuit closing position.

lVith contact wires attached to the terminals 22 as shown in Figure 1,the switch will operate as a single pole switch but if a conductor beattached to the screw or post 21, it may be utilized as a two-poleswitch and effect remote control of lamps or other instrumentalities.The apparatus may be used wherever electrically operated mechanism isdesired to be operated at regular intervals and for predeterminedperiods. The segments may be so arranged that the device will run forsay, one hour, then be idle for fulness.

In Figures 6 to 9, I have shown a modification of the invention in whichthe switch arms and circuit closing contacts are of the same form asshown in Figures 1 to 5, and

10 previously described. Instead of the segments employed in the firstdescribed form, however, I provide cams or eccentrics, indicated at and41, for operating the switch arms. These cams 40 and 41 are arranged atopposite sides of a central disc 42 which is provided at its margin withnumerals indicating the hourly periods. The central dial 42 has a hub orsleeve member 43 which encircles a stub shaft 44 secured to the end ofthe clock arbor 3 and isthreaded at its outer extremity to receiveaninternally threaded nut 45. A washer or abutment 46 is carried by therear end of the stub shaft 44 and the cam 41 fits against the front faceand the periphery of this washer, the center of the cam being mountedloosely upon the hub 43 of the central disc while the front cam 40 isloosely fitted about the front end of said hub 43 and about the rear endof the nut 45. c The nut 45.

is also provided with an annular flange or rib 47 which fits within arecess in the front face of the cam 40, as clearly shown in Figure 9, sothat when the nut is turned home, the cams and the central disc will befirmly clamped on the stub shaft and will rotate therewith. It will benoted, particularly upon reference to Figure 9, that the cams are eachprovided with extensions 48 beyond I their working portions and in theedges of their working portions have grooves 49 engaged by the ends ofthe switch arms, the grooves and said extensions serving to hold theswitch arms against lateral oscillation and consequently maintainingthem in engagement with the respective cams at all times. The front cam40 may be adjusted readily to bring the advance end of its working edgeinto the proper position relative to the indicator disc or dial 42 sothat the switch arm engaged thereby will be operated at the proper timeand the cam will be properly shaped according to the duration of theworking period and the number of working periods desired during thetwenty-four hours. The cam 41 has secured thereto at its advance end, anindicator arm 50 which extends beyond the periphery of the cam and has ahook 51 at its free end arranged to engage around the edge of theindicator dial and terminating in a pointer 52 to cooperate with thenumerals on the indicator dial whereby to correctly and accurately setthe rear cam. The operation of the modified arrangement in opening andclosing the circuits is identical with the first described form.

What is claimed is:

1. A time switch comprising a dial having marginal graduations, meanswhereby the dial may be rotated by a clock mechanism, segmentsdetachably mounted on the front and rear faces of the dial with theirsides abutting along diameters of the dial leading to the marginalgraduations, fixed contacts below the dial, and movable switch armsmounted below the dial to cooperate with the fixed contacts and havingtheir free ends extended beyond the periphery of the dial whereby to beengaged by the peripheral portions of the segments on, the respectivefaces of the dial.

2. In a time switch, fixed contacts, switch arms pivotally mounted atopposite sides of said fixed contacts, yieldable means engaged with theswitch arms and tending constantly to move them in one direction, meansto limit the movement of the switch arms under the influence of saidmeans, one of said arms being normally engaged with the fixed contacts,and levers carried by the switch arms and engageable with the segmentsto be moved thereby in opposition to said yieldable means.

3. In a time switch, fixed contacts, movable switch arms mounted atopposite sides of I the fixed contacts and adapted to engage the same, adial above the switch arms, means carried by said dial for operating theswitch arms, means whereby the dial may be driven by clock mechanism,and an index element mounted adjacent the switch arms and cooperatingwith the dial to initially set the same.

4. In a time switch, a pair of fixed contacts, movable switch armsmounted at opposite sides of the fixed contacts and adapted to engagethe same, a dial arranged above the switch arms, means whereby said dialmay be rotated by a clock mechanism, cams disposed at the opposite sidesof the dial and arranged to engage the ends of the switch arms and meansat the center of the cams and the dial to clamp both cams to the dial.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH E. KUYKENDALL. [1,. 8.]

